


Magick

by komtess_ironie



Category: Rammstein
Genre: Astrology, Black Magick, Comeback of Frau Schneider, Fire, Gen, Mythical Creature, Nonsense, Possession, Possible smut, Silly, Strong Language, We will see about that later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-19
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:07:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22323829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/komtess_ironie/pseuds/komtess_ironie
Summary: Set in 2010. It all starts with a morbid curiosity for astrology. Over time, the band unravells an interest for the Occult, or at least what they think it is. None of them knows anyhing about the matter, and making fun of spells or playing with fire will have its consequences.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 9





	1. Playing with fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is really supposed to be silly, so feel free to laugh as much as I did while writing this. It contains various references to memes, and other shenanigans.
> 
> Once again, big thanks to HoloPumpkin to laugh along with me at this idea.
> 
> Tumblr: vapor-stein

I

_Playing with Fire_

It’s about three in the afternoon, and the sun is shining quite strongly. Rammstein are going to play at Rock am Ring tonight. Paul doesn’t seem to want some sunshine on his face for today. He is sitting on the black couch in the dressing room, turning his laptop on. Scrolling through any potential videos to watch on YouTube, he looks for any interesting guitar reviews or funny cat videos. He comes across a rather unsual theme to his typical search.

"What is your moon sign and _what does it mean_...?" - Paul mutters to himself, reading the title out loud.

He clicks on the title, opening the video. A neat, English-speaking lady explains thoroughly, what a moon sign is, clarifying all of the twelve signs.

Somebody opens the door and comes in. somebody being Schneider.

“What are you doing, _Paul Block_?”

“Uh- nothing.” – he opens a new tab quickly.

“It’s fine. Everyone watches porn.” – Schneider sits next to him, drinking water from a bottle.

“I’m not watching porn.”

“Then I’m Santa Claus.”

“Man! I’m not watching porn! I’m…I just came across what a moon sign is…”

“Sorcery?”

“It’s not sorcery.” – Paul opens the search engine, typing in _Moon signs_. – “You see, this is quite interesting. I’ve been reading about the Zodiac recently, but I never knew what a moon sign is.”

“Shut up, that’s just plain stupid.”

“It’s not! See for yourself. Let me do your birth chart.”

“Sure” – Schneider rolls his eyes scornfully, standing up to pick up a magazine.

Paul opens a website with various options. First, you need to insert a few data, and you’ll get a full chart with the description of your placements.

“Schneider, what about it? Can I do it?”

“Yeah, put a spell on me.”

“Your date of birth?”

“11, May 1966.”

“Where?”

“Pankow, Germany, fool.”

“Cut it out. Do you happen to know what time you were born?”

“Do I look like I remember, Paul? I don’t know.”

“Alright. _Unknown time_ , we’ll write.”

Schneider flips through the drum magazine, not paying attention to anything Paul seemed to murmur about.

“Are you done casting a spell on me?”

“I am. Very curious, says here your moon is in Aquarius. The same for me!”

“Nice. I’m feeling the spell all over my body.”

“Schneider, for real. Cut it out. I already knew you were a Taurus, but now I know we have the same moon sign. Aren’t you curious?”

“And that is?”

“Apparently, the Moon is _how you feel_ , and the Sun is _your essence_. Having a moon in Aquarius defines a rather emotionally distant person, someone who can evade easily.”

“Are we compatible?” – he mocks again.

“I'm sure we are. You keep on making fun of this, but if you were to read carefully, you'd be surprised about how much you can learn about yourself. I don't believe in it religiously, but some things seem very...accurate.”

Schneider lays an eye on Paul’s laptop, reading his birth chart. Now he's a tad curious. Maybe just a little hint of curiosity was taking place. _Perhaps_. At the same time, the remaining four band members enter the room, laughing and making a fuss about some other conversation.

“Do you guys feel the vibe for tonight? It’s going to be a good gig.” – Richard voices enthusiastically, fixing himself a sandwich.

“What's a vibe?” – Till asks.

“Younger people are using this word a lot. It means _vibration_. And what are you guys doing?” – Richard approaches the drummer and the guitarist, taking a peek at the screen. – “Astrology? I didn’t know you were that well informed, Paul…”

“We are looking through Schneider’s birth chart.”

Till closes the book he’s reading, turning to the others. “Seems like a big piece of bullshit to me.” He stands up, revealing now some interest in the subject.

“What am I, Paul?” – asks Till, followed by all of the men in the room, asking the guitarist similar questions.

“Wait! Calm down. For someone who thought this was bullshit, you’re all very interested. Each one at a time.”

Paul opens some more tabs, gathering information about Zodiac placements and characteristics.

"Till, you’re a Capricorn. Schneider is a Taurus, as we were previously concluding. Richard, you son of a gun, you’re a Cancer."

“Me? What does it mean?” – Richard finishes his sandwich, bursting into laughter.

“You’re a pit of emotional turmoil! A diva!”

“Damn! And what about you, Paulchen?” – Richard continues.

“I’m a Sagittarius, a fire sign. The twelve Zodiac signs consist of four element groups. Fire, Earth, Water and Air.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Till was a fire sign.”

“He is not! Capricorn in an Earth sign, along with Taurus and Virgo. You guys are the most down-to-earth-, practical people.”

“Seems about right, uh, Till?” – Schneider exclaims, putting the magazine away.

“What about me?” – Flake rises from his chair.

“You are a Scorpio. Those are very…freaky people. Moving on. Olli is an Aries. So, let me keep on explaining about the elements.”

Paul reads a few more lines, and recites it openly to the now seemingly curious group of friends, gathered around the laptop.

“Earth, I’ve explained that already. Fire: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius. Water: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces. Air: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius.”

“You guys, Paul Block here was telling me about the moon too. hear him out.” – says Schneider.

“It’s not witchcraft anymore, seems to me, Doom? _So_ , Doom here has his moon in Aquarius, aswell as me.”

“Seems to me like you’re very compatible…” – giggles Richard.

The heated discussion about their Zodiacs and characteristics went on for over an hour. Not knowing how, Paul made the five others gain a certain enthusiasm.

Later on in the evening, the show had gone like honey dripping over hot stones. Smooth. A good gig. This time, it was not planned for the guys to stay at a hotel- they would stay at Paul’s house, meaning they would have to drive a considerable number of kilometres. Eventually they got there, and once installed in the various guest bedrooms, some of them went to bed. The night was long. All of them except for Paul and Till.

The guitarist and the singer sit on the couch, zapping through dozens of channels. A few minutes later, they head to the fridge to look for some beer. Till seems restless.

“Let’s do something. I am actually not very enthusiastic about the idea of going to sleep.” – the singer suggests.

“What do you suggest?”

“Well, you’re into astrology. I’m very much into magic.”

“What do you mean _Magic_? The Magic Cards?”

“No, idiot. Magic. Spells.”

“And what do you have in mind?” – Paul raises an eyebrow at the taller man, knowing that an outstanding, absurd idea was about to leave Till’s mouth. – “We are old enough to not be playing around like that.”

“Can we use your backyard?”

“Alright.”

The two men head to the backyard, and it’s dark. But not pitch black, for lamps emit just the right amount of light. When Paul least expects, Till is in search of tools in his wooden shed.

“What are you doing??”

“Looking for fuel.”

“Fuel? Are you crazy? Do I look like I have fuel on my shed.”

“Paul, I know that you’re not the sharpest tool in the shed, but your shed must have a little can of fuel.”

“And for what do you need fuel?”

“We are going to perform a ring of fire.”

Paul swallows and looks up, already knowing only Till could have such an idea. A spare can of fuel for his car was hidden under a cabinet. The shed had anything a handyman would need for his craft. A chainsaw, hammers, pieces of wood, nails, glue, wall paint…fuel.

“Fuel. A piece of chalk. Lighter or matches.”

“Right. You do you. The consequences are your responsibility.”

Till heads outside with the material gathered, first and foremost drawing a big chalk circle on the concrete floor.

“So what is the ring of fire supposed to do?”

“Nothing, really. It’s just for pure fun. I actually don’t know magic. But we can pretend I do, am I right?”

“Well, I advise you to have an extinguisher near you.”

“Paul, stop being so bitchy. You know me, I’m very much qualified to deal with fire, ten times more than you are yourself.”

“I’ll get the extinguisher. Don’t start without me.”

Half-awake, Schneider hears conversation outside. Having heard this chatter outside for over ten minutes, he gets out of bed to check on the situation. To walk outside, he has to get downstairs, and pass through the kitchen, which allows access to the backyard. As he arrives in the kitchen, Christoph flicks the switch and turns the lights on, only to see Paul carrying an extinguisher to the backyard.

“Paul?”

“Oh shit, Schneider. You scared the hell out of me.”

“What are you doing.”

“Organizing my kitchen…”

“ _Quatsch_. You’re clearly up to something, and it seems to me you’re quite tipsy. Aren’t you even tired?”

The drummer stands tall in a black wifebeater and underwear, still half-asleep.

“I heard muffled chattering, thought I should come and see what this is all about. And what is the extinguisher for? What the hell…”

“It’s, uh-”

“Okay, enough. I’m heading outside.”

Despite the cold, all of the men are outside, not very dressed. Schneider walks outside in quick steps. Till is staring at a circle drawn on the floor, greeting the two who have joined him just now.

“What the fuck is this?”

“Paul and I were going to make a ring of fire.”

“His idea.” – Paul rubs his forehead in embarrassment.

“A ring of fire? What’s this about?”

“Magic.”

“Right. I don’t know what kind of drugs you guys have been doing recently, but those are strong.”

“Join us, it will be fun!” – Till chuckles, spilling fuel along the round shape on the floor.

“Fun. Right. I’m going to bed again. If you burn yourselves down, I don’t want to be part of this. Let me pretend I didn’t see this. You guys have gone nuts.”

Just as the drummer turns his back to get back indoors, Till lights three matches at the same time, throwing it on to the circle. He can’t help but to go see this. Maybe he’s curious.

“ _Feuer Frei_ , putas.”

“Till, you’re drunk too.”

“I’m fine, and you too? Don’t be bitchy too, I know what I’m doing. Don’t you enjoy the sensuous image of a flame?”

“Fire. _Pff_ , _pff_. Hot.” – Schneider mocks, mimicking a blowing sound.

The three men glow before the light from the fire, a flaming hot orange in the darkness. In their eyes, the reflection of a glowing circumference. Soon enough, and while the flames still elevate by themselves, Till begins to murmur in a low voice, very similar to his singing style.

“Oh Lady of the Light, Whore of the Fires, come to us, come to us.”

Schneider takes his hands to his face, rolling his eyes. Paul laughs uncontrollably.

“You’re fucking crazy.”

“Quiet. Let’s summon the Whore. The Whore of the Fires.”

Schneider is surprisingly curious about this kind of entertainment…and comes closer. Too close. In the blink of an eye, a piece of his chin-long locks catches fire.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck, man! I’m on fire!”

Till takes off his jacket, and in a surprisingly fast hand movement, he covers the drummer’s head entirely, putting out the fire immediately. Fortunately, not a lot of hair was burnt.

“I knew this was a stupid idea! You should give me a fucking haircut now!”

Paul grabs the extinguisher, and puts out the ring of fire. The three walk inside the house. Schneider, caught up in a cloud of fury, heads to the room assigned to him, shutting the door. Till nears the door, and apologizes.

"I'm sorry. Tomorrow I'll pay you for a visit to the salon."

"Right. You'll pay. Good night."


	2. Berlin Witch Project

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band heads to the Grunewald forest outside of Berlin, in order to film their own version of Blair Witch Project.  
> Have you seen the Whore of the Fires? You haven't. Now you will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few images and stock photos are used for the extra meme effect. I also used one meme of mine.

II

_Berlin Witch Project_

About one month has passed since Schneider’s little hair incident. As promised, Till payed for the appointment at the salon in the following day, but soon enough the heavy mood had gone off. The drummer actually wanted to get rid of his long locks for some time, so now a fresh haircut would give him a new flair. Eventually the rest of the band was properly informed about why the hair was cut, the response being a chain of laughter. No one would dare to ask why a circle of fire would be lighten in the backyard, at three in the morning. Till blamed the event on the alcohol taken in that evening. To this day, Schneider still believed he had become cursed. To blow off some steam during a tour break, Flake suggested going camping for one night, not telling his bandmates the real reason behind such decision. He wanted to recreate the movie _Blair Witch Project._ He thought it might bring out some ideas for a future music video.

The project was well-received by all of the five men, so they agreed to spend a night in the woods. They are leaving at four in the afternoon.

Flake prepares the filming equipment in various compartments and pouches. This was his idea. Out of the blue and out of the black, almost for sure. Paul helps Till with the tents, food and other camping supplies, packing a cheap acoustic guitar aswell. The [van](https://66.media.tumblr.com/497ae373a892a2bb5f17dc3ea25c087a/4a98a103159a182d-dc/s540x810/f2306d4054912e5195261d7c54faaaccc702b9f7.png) is ready. Richard takes the wheel this time. They’re heading to the Grunewald forest, outside of Berlin; and little do they know how things are about to get witchy.

“Are we going to shoot a music video?” – Schneider complains from the back seat, and it appears that he is slightly more moody than usual. Today he looks like what we could call an E-boy, and the smiles are only ironic. 

“We might. Neither Zoran nor Joern are here to direct us.” - replies Flake. – “I took some time to learn about these cameras and how to operate them. They are just simple camorders.”

“So how is this going to happen, and how do you know it’s safe?”

“No, we are not going to film a music video. So, we are going to spend one night in the forest, as I told you in advance. ”

“Bollocks, Flake! Hey Paulchen, I am very uneasy, what does my horoscope say today?”

Paul is outside, still able to hear the drummer’s question. In a mocking gesture, he comes closer to the window and pulls out his phone, pretending to read something.

“Says here you’re an asshole.” – he curses.

“Thanks. I’m sure the predictions for Sagittarius say you’re an asshole too.”

“Cut it off! We’re going on a trip.”

The van has six available seats. Everybody is settled in their preferred seats, waiting for Richard to smoke. Richard turns on the radio and starts the van. Flake is calling shotgun. In the middle, Till sits next to Oliver. In the backseat, Paul and Schneider. The sun shines today, despite the cold - so all of them, except for the driver, are wearing sunglasses. After over one hour on the road, they get to the venue. Fresh air, finally. Tall trees, plunging into the sky.

As they step outside, Richard lights a cigarette, turning to the keyboardist who’s testing a camera inside the van.

“So, what’s the reason for this trip? You even brought those cameras, and none of us knows what they’re for.”

“I’d rather tell you when the others come back from taking a walk on the woods.”

“Oh come on. What’s the harm of telling me that now?”

“Alright. I decided it would be fun to try and film our own version of _Blair Witch Project_.”

“What??” – Richard bursts into laughter, in between the last puffs on the cigarette. - "Blair Witch, the movie?"

"Y-yes...I thought it would help us develop ideas."

Just as the guitarist is still laughing, the others come back, in indistinct chatter.

“You guys, listen!”

“What?”

“Flake just told me we are going to film _Blair Witch Project_ ”

And of course Schneider feels the need to complain. " _Quatsch_. You guys seem to only have weird ideas lately." 

After a long dicussion, the band finally agreed to fulfill Flake's idea. They would film an intro, and the actual movie scenes would take place at night, using flash and night mode filming.

"Let's skip to action. You'll be divided in four groups. That's why I brought four camcorders. To begin with, we'll record an intro in broad daylight. I thought it would be interesting that Paul Teams up with Schneider. Till will team up with Richard, and you, Olli, you'll be in my team."

"So what's the point of this?"

"You'll have to pretend you're visited by strange entities, or pretend you're living a terrifying experience. Improvise. Be creative."

The six guys set up the tents and fill them with sleeping bags, pillows and duvets. Now it's time to film the intro.

It seemed like more than just a coincidence that Till and Richard were wearing similar clothes. As Schneider said, "a scary aspect by itself". Flake presses the record button, and after filming the two men in camo for a few seconds, he zooms into the guitarist's face. Looking clearly confused, Richard decides to introduce the project in English.

_Hi. I'm Richard ZK and we are Rammstein. You are watching the Berlin Witch Project._

"Very good, Reesh! That's a wrap!"

* * *

As the sun set, the tents were already set up. In an effort to not take up too much space in the van, only three tents were brought, meaning that in each tent two would be sleeping together. About twenty sandwiches had been fixed in advance, so that it would be easier to get by in the woods. One can see the moon in the sky now, so high and shiny. After eating all of the sandwiches, the six men sit around the campfire lit by Till some time previously.

Flake adjusts his black framed glasses and takes a look at his watch. “We should start filming again. It’s eight o’clock.”

“Oh come on, we should hang out around the fire a little bit.” – Paul stands up, grunts and picks up the acoustic guitar inside his tent. “I’m going to play you a song. This song is dedicated to Till.”

“Oh, how grand. Thank you!”

Digging his hand in the pocket of his coat, Paul finds a guitar pick, sitting by the fire again. He starts strumming chords that soon sounded familiar to the band. Schneider shakes his head, facepalming, understanding why Paul was dedicating this song to Till. Paul begins now to sing along his own playing.

“Love is a burning thing…And it makes a fiery ring…Bound by wild desire…I fell into a, a ring of fire…I fell into a burnin' ring of fire…I went down down down…”

The remaining band members join, singing the following lines in a low-voiced unison.

“And the flames went higher…And it burn burn burns…That ring of fire…That ring of fire…”

Just as the song came to an end, the band is swiftly startled by a rather loud _crack_ noise, not knowing exactly where it came from.

“Oh man, what’s that?”

Paul leaves the guitar on the floor, headed to the van, to look for the possibility of an intruder, either human or not. The sound occurs again, as the men look in all directions, aware of any thinkable dangerous situations.

“Paul, was it you?”

“No man, the van is clear. So are the tents.”

Now reunited again among the campfire, the flames begin to elevate and crack. An even louder _crack_. So that’s where the sound is coming from. Till looks at Paul, covering his mouth in disbelief.

“Oh shit, Paul. I think I know what this is.”

“Fucking witchcraft, huh?”

“Do you remember when we performed the ring of fire in your backyard?”

“You what?!” – Flake is startled, not knowing whether to consider his two friends crazy or to be afraid of the _crack_ noises.

Schneider joins the conversation.

“My hair…fire. Hot. They did it, I was there.”

“You are all completely, utterly crazy.”

“Shut up, you all.” – Till adds, standing up before the flames. “When I performed the ring of fire in Paul’s backyard I tried to summon the Whore of the Fires. Nothing seemed to happen besides Doom getting his Jesus hair burnt.”

“Is that even real? I still think you guys are doing strong drugs.” – the drummer shakes his head once more, half dumbfounded, half bored.

“Paul played _Ring of Fire_ by Johnny Cash,” – Till proclaims calmly

“…and that’s what’s making her manifest herself now…” – Paul continues.

A bigger, taller flame elevates from the fiery, orange ones, forming a faint female figure. Like a hologram, she seems almost real. But they all know they can't touch in order to confirm if this is in fact real.

Their jaws drop. She is real. Rammstein had just summoned the Whore of the Fires, using a song by Johnny Cash. She looked sensual. She even looked so much like a stock photo they'd seen on the Interwebs. Flake turns on the camcorder as fast as he can, to document this ocurrence. As he does so, the lady sways one arm into the air, and burns the camera to ashes. If not careful and fast, the keyboardist would have a third-degree burn in his arm.

"Forsaken the authority and you will experience the reprimand." - the woman warns, in a metallic voice.

"What do you mean?" - Till askes, mesmerized by this fiery, scorching female being.

"No photos allowed. Do not speak of my existence to any others."

As they're still in awe, the woman levitates a few centimetres above their heads, and states, this time in English.

"Y'all wanna see the bed in flames?" - vanishing in the air.


	3. Berlin Witch Project: Zwei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously, on Magick: Six German men known by the name Rammstein headed to the Grunewald forest, in the outskirts of Berlin. They wanted to film their own version of Blair Witch Project. They ended up summoning the Whore of the Fires, a mythical creature only few know about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A propos, and regarding the previous chapter, there is a reference to David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting Out Fire)". Have fun. For notes regarding "Berlinisch" dialect or other German expressions, see translation at the end. Pardon me if my German translation is not one hundred percent correct.
> 
> Tumblr: vapor-stein

III

_Berlin Witch Project: Zwei_

_And I've been putting out the fire with gasoline_

_Putting out the fire_

_With gasoline._

The glowing female figure had just vanished into the cold night air. Surprisingly, the campfire was still burning, and one could still hear the night breeze over the trees. Nevertheless, they stayed in silence for about two minutes.

“ _Ick bin von den Socken...Vajisset, Till! Aber wo ist sie dann_?” – Paul exclaims in slight anger, in heavy Berlin accent, with one hand on each side of his waist. Till shrugs in response, giving the guitarist a hint that it would probably not be that easy to summon the _Whore of the Fires_ again.

Out of the blue, Flake rises up, adjusts his glasses and motions one camera in the air.

“Now is the best time to start filming. Let’s go, boys.”

“You have to be kidding me, _Christian Lorenz_.” – Schneider gives him a sour steady glare, in a very feminine, sarcastic tone.

“Stop being chicken shit, _Christoph Schneider_. Here’s your camera. Remember who’s your team member?”

“Fine. As long as it doesn’t involve me getting my hair burnt again.”

Schneider eventually remembers his team member is Paul, so he joins him, handing him the camcorder. As previously discussed, Till teams up with Richard, given that they were wearing similar camo jackets, pants and caps. Flake joins Oliver. Being one of the quietest band members, Flake seems to be the leader of this operation, guiding the five remaining men. He instructed them how to activate night mode or flash, recording, pausing and stopping.

“ _Na, allet in Butta?_ I hope your watches or mobile phones are working. You have one hour and a half to wander in the forest. There are four flashlights in the van, so of course you will not be in the darkness. Pretend you’re living a horrifying experience in the woods during this time period, and when the time is up we’ll meet by the campfire again. Good luck.”

* * *

The band heads to the van quickly, to get the flashlights, and split in small groups. The first pair leaving off to the deep woods is Till and Richard.

“ _Scholle_ , do you remember how to activate night mode?”

“Give me that. Here, press this option here on the left. See? That’s night mode. Let me record first, you’re the best actor here.”

Richard begins filming, pointing the camera to his own face. Because of using night mode, the image is in hues of green, pupils bright, and the faces white. According to Flake, this would make it two hundred times creepier.

_Hey. It’s Richard ZK again. We’re in the middle of the woods, it’s really cold. And here by my side is Till…Lindemann. The man._

_Why are you speaking English?_

_For the fans, you know. So, moving on, it’s cold, and we’re scared._

_Verflixt und zugenäht, Reesh. Give me that camera._

Till holds the camera now, pointing it to the floor, to record their footsteps. In a different, but not so distant location, Flake and Oliver are exploring how trees look in the dark, recording the passage of any animal or possible uncanny sounds. While filming, they converse about the surroundings calmly, describing anything they can see. Occasionally, they would point the camcorder at each other’s faces, so that their facial expressions would be registered.

_Did you hear that?_

_What? No._

_I don’t know what that was!_

_Probably just a deer, Oli._

_Oh, okay. let’s keep on looking._

On the other hand, Paul and Schneider’s adventure was going rather dramatic. Being the one recording, the drummer zooms in the guitarist’s face, asking him inquisitive questions.

_Paul, how do you feel knowing we can get murdered today?_

_First of all, don’t point the light to my face. Second, I suspect no one is after us so far._

_So far, you say. Really? Look behind you._

_What the fuck, man?_

_It’s a “Slender Man”. I’ve read about it on the internet, a tall and pale creature who kidnaps people in the woods. Have you heard about him, Paul Landers?_

_There is nothing behind me. Are you sure you didn’t catch a glimpse of Oli?_

They laugh almost hysterically. Until a sharp noise disturbs them with a fright. Curse words and startled faces are now registered in the camera. This time, they switch places, and Paul is the one holding the camera. One could hear the faint crackling of dry leaves on the floor, their footsteps and the trees swinging in the wind. Suddenly, the sight of a small wooden cabin, seemingly abandoned. They get closer. And suddenly, the guitarist proclaims.

_Oh Mann! The Cabin in the Woods!_

_What?_

_Have you never watched the film? Cabin in the Woods? We’re experiencing it!_

_Should we take a look?_

_Selbstverständlich, Mann!_

On the video, one could see Paul’s shaky hand trying to bust the door open, with the help of Schneider’s strong kick. While kicking the door, two or three logs collapse. The house smells like mold, rotten wood, and some other unidentified type of rotten.

“Did you feel it?”

“What?”

“Something cold.”

For a while, Paul turns off the camera. Schneider looks frozen, spaced out.

“It’s because it’s cold.”

“Man, I swear I felt something cold. Through me. Not around me. It’s like my throat went cold too.”

“And you were the one making fun of these things. Come one, it’s been only twenty minutes, let’s keep on filming stuff.”

“I’m scared now.”

“Man up. You’re an adult.”

Walking into the cabin, the two men feel the texture of broken glass and some sticky substance under their boots. Probably remains of smashed wine or beer bottles. Unexpectedly, the door closes and opens by itself, in less than five seconds. This event pulled out a gasp from both men.

"I swear, I don't feel good."

“Mann! I have heard it! Turn on the camera now!”

“I thought you were kidding!”

Schneider takes his hands to his chest, as if someone who's having a hiccup or a small convulsion. 

"You okay?"

"Yes, I'm just feeling...different. Strange. Lighter. Delicate. Elegant, even."

Realising Schneider isn't feeling too comfortable with himself, both men return to the meeting point. The campfire is still glowing faintly. Turning to his friend, the drummer asks,

"We're supposed to sleep in the same tent, right?"

"That's what it seems like. Why are you asking me that? We've known eachother for so long. You're probably just cold and sleepy. Also, now it's my turn to ask you what kind drugs you're taking."

Right after entering the tent, closing the strong door zipper, and turning off the flashlight, they get rid of the heavy coats and the thickest layers of clothing that would protect them from the cold. Schneider rolls over countless times, not able to know why he can't fall asleep, somthing that's making the guitarist a tad irritated. The night doesn't scare him, that is not what's bothering him. He feels different, in a way he couldn't exactly express with just a few words. It's like some other being coexists with him in his own system. One can't hear the voices or footsteps of the remaining band members now. They're far away by now. It's probably way past eleven.

"What's wrong with you, man?" - Paul is still half-awake, but nearly asleep.

"You know that song of ours, _Zwitter_? _Zwei Seelen unter meiner Brust_?"

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like...two people. I feel...female, and male. It's like a woman lives inside this body of a man. And it's weird, ever since that _Fire Whore_ appeared before us..."

"Oh shit! Damn, that whore, she's evil! What have we done?"

Paul stands up with the help of his elbows, in order to sit, and turns on the flashlight once again, pointing it to the drummer's face.

"Let me finish, and don't point that to my face, I'm sensitive. I know I have been very skeptical so far, but ever since she appeared, and then as she disappeared again, I feel like...it might be possible that she got me possessed. When I did Frau Schneider, she was a character, I was acting. Now, man...now I _feel_ like Frau Schneider."

"Do you believe in black magic and curses?"

"No, Landers, but now I do. You should stop playing that Johnny Cash song. It's cursed."

"I'm sure there's a way to reverse that curse."

"I'm scared, I don't want to be cursed. Do you remember when she said: Do you wanna see the bed in flames?"

"Yes."

"What could it mean?"

What could it mean? Was it a riddle? A riddle, in order to reverse the curse? At the time the _Whore of the Fires_ appeared, none of the six members of Rammstein knew that one of them could get possessed; much less that Schneider was now cursed. Maybe she knew them well, for sure. Maybe she had already assured her presence in their concerts, during over ten years of onstage fire acts. Maybe she had visited Till Lindemann to occasionally become his muse without his knowledge, as he scribbled some verses.

About half an hour later, Paul and Schneider were still chattering, only to be laughed at by their four friends who were progressively coming back from their adventure in the darkness. 

"Afraid of the dark, you two?"

Paul opens the zipper to get out of the tent and stands up before his mates, giving them a dead serious glare. Paul's warning is directly towards Till, given that he was the first one to encourage playing with fire. 

"We need to talk. I'm never playing that song near a flame ever again."

"Who's cursed?" - the singer jokes.

"Strange things are happening tonight."

"That's a nice drug you got there. Where did you buy it?"

" _Scheiße_ , Till! I'm serious! We need to stop making jokes about drugs. Some things are happening, and I think we've been playing with occult forces. I believe Schneider is possessed. He's asleep now, so let's not wake him up."

"Alright, tell me more-" - Till accompanies the conversation.

The rest of the group laughs, but not for long. Soon enough their mouths shut and they embody a heavy seriousness. Flake pulls out his camera, filming Paul and his ramble about the drummer's curse.

"He explained it to me using a comparison with the song _Zwitter_. As I said, we believe that the Whore is inside him, and that's why he feels like both a man and a woman."

"Frau Schneider is back."

"Maybe. We have to find a way to reverse this, because it's a curse. I played that damn song, and-"

"She referenced one of our songs before disappearing."

"Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen Sehen...?"

"Exactly."

Till grabs a notebook and a pen from his backpack, scribbling some words that might be helpful. They needed to think. It's now clear that there was an evil riddle someone needed to solve, and as great minds think alike, a brainstorming was a must. The way to solve the mystery resided in the first verses of that song from their first album.

_WOLLT IHR DAS BETT IN FLAMMEN SEHEN_

_WOLLT IHR IN HAUT UND HAAREN UNTERGEHEN_  
  


After long minutes of discussion, they came to a conclusion and figured everything out. Who caused the curse would be the one to reverse it. And everybody knows who _he_ is. Part of the riddle was solved. The _Whore of the Fires_ really did know each of the Rammstein members individually, for she has been observing carefully during the multiple times she had been summoned during their shows because of the fire. However, people only get possessed once _Ring_ _of Fire_ by Johnny Cash is played on the guitar.

"How do you metaphorically set a bed in flames?"

"You have sex."

"Right, but that's not going to be me."

"You played the song, Paul." - Till put his notebook down, shrugging his shoulders. - "It doesn't have to be today, though. Let's get some sleep for now and stop playing with this black magic."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Von den Socken sein/ Ich bin von den Socken" (Berlinisch for somebody being completely surprised).  
> "Vajisset" (Berlinisch for Vergiss es) = "Leave it alone", "Forget it".  
> "Na, allet in Butta?" (Berlinisch for Alles in Butter? / Alles in Ordnung?) = "Everything OK?".  
> "Verflixt und zugenäht" (Hochdeutsch, Standard German) = "Damn it to Hell".  
> "Selbstverständlich" (Hochdeutsch, Standard German) = "Self-evident".


End file.
